scope:

1. Scope

1.1 This provisional guide describes how measured values of indoor carbon dioxide concentrations can be used in evaluations of indoor air quality and building ventilation.

1.2 This provisional guide describes the use of carbon dioxide concentrations to indicate the acceptability of a space in terms of human body odor.

1.3 This provisional guide describes the following uses of indoor carbon dioxide concentrations to evaluate building ventilation: mass balance analysis to determine the percent outdoor air intake at an air handler; the tracer gas decay technique to estimate whole building air change rates; and, the constant injection tracer gas technique at equilibrium to estimate whole building air change rates.

1.4 This provisional guide discusses the use of continuous monitoring of indoor carbon dioxide concentrations as a means of evaluating building ventilation and indoor air quality.

1.5 This provisional guide discusses concentration measurement issues but it does not include or recommend a method for measuring carbon dioxide concentrations.

1.6 This provisional guide does not address the use of indoor carbon dioxide to control outdoor air intake rates.

1.7 This guide is being promulgated as a provisional guide due to the frequent misunderstanding of the meaning of indoor carbon dioxide concentrations and the frequent misuse of carbon dioxide in indoor air quality investigations. This situation has created an urgent need for technically sound guidance.

1.8 Provisional standards achieve limited consensus through approval of the sponsoring subcommittee.

1.9 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.